Terms of trade is usually used to refer to the value of exports that a country sends abroad in comparison to the value of imports it brings in. Generally speaking, countries want to have positive “terms of trade” and want to export more than they import. However, there can be exceptions to this general “rule”. A terms of trade definition can get quite technical, and we’re going to dig deeper. It's important to understand that it refers, more or … [Read more...]

Savvy investors will keep a close eye on unemployment. They will be watching the unemployment rate closely and monitoring for changes in the labor market. Doing so is essential because the labor market and the unemployment rate might just be the biggest single indicator in regards to whether the economy is expanding or shrinking. There are many other important indicators, of course, but unemployment is something that every investor should pay … [Read more...]

Financial engineering emerged as a hot term and a hot field over the past few decades. The investing and finance world has grown into an even larger and more powerful sector of the global economy. This growth has spurred the increase in specialization. By specializing, people can increase their skills and become even more effective at doing their job. Financial engineering has been at the forefront of this drive for increased skills and … [Read more...]

The Eurozone has dominated a lot of headlines over the last few years. This article is going to offer a brief overview of what the Eurozone is, and why it's important for financial markets and investors. It is also going to dig into the on-going Eurozone crisis and provide some details that investors need to be aware of.
Differentiating the Eurozone from the European Union
First thing's first, the Eurozone should not be confused with the … [Read more...]

Want to make money off of crude oil futures? There's certainly a potential to produce profits in the near future. In case you haven't noticed, crude oil is currently selling for well less than $50 dollars a barrel. It is actually hovering near recent historical lows. This means that oil is now cheaper to buy than it has been in years.
Oil Per Barrel On Sale
So are there opportunities to invest in oil futures? After all, if oil is cheap now, … [Read more...]